HISTORY:
Whitman was first settled by Europeans in 1670 and was officially incorporated in 1875. Prior to becoming Whitman, it was formally the southern parish of the town of Abington. The new name, Whitman, was taken from a wealthy family who grew up in South Abington, and was adopted in 1886. Though before adopting the name Whitman, the small town was known as Little Comfort. Whitman has a rich history that is deeply rooted in the shoemaking industry. Regal Shoe and Bostonian Shoe are perhaps the most notable. At one time there were over 20 shoe factories and related factories making metal shanks in town. There are a few abandoned factories left, and some have been turned into condominiums. Whitman is a very small community, which was the home of the famous Toll House and the Toll House Cookie.  A quiet and friendly community, Whitman has an outstanding youth organization that offers a variety of activities. The town is proud of their girls' soccer team who won the state championship, and its recreation program.  The Town Park, home to the baseball field, also features an outdoor swimming pool.  The bandstand from which summer concerts are held is a very popular attraction.  Whitman hosts an annual Fourth of July Field Day at the park, with a roadrace, carriage or bike decorating, pie eating contests and other events.  The town is a very rural community situated on the south shore and is mostly residential.    

DEMOGRAPHICS:
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,882 people, 4,999 households, and 3,604 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,995.7 people per square mile (770.1/km²). There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of 733.8/sq mi (283.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.15% White, 0.65% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. There were 4,999 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.30. The median income for a household in the town was $55,303, and the median income for a family was $63,706. Males had a median income of $41,950 versus $30,629 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,002. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

TRANSPORTATION:
The intersection of Route 18 and Route 27 is at the center of town. Route 14 also intersects with Route 27, about three quarters of a mile south of the town center. Route 58 also crosses through the eastern corner of town. There are no interstates or divided highways in town; the nearest highway is Route 24 which passes through Brockton.  Whitman has a stop, located on Route 27, along the Kingston-Route 3 route of the MBTA's commuter rail. The rail, formerly the Old Colony Line, passes through the eastern half of town, east of the mill ponds and meadows. There is no air service to the town; the nearest international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston, 26 miles north of Whitman.

EDUCATION:
Since the mid-1960s, Whitman has been paired with Hanson as a part of what was the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School School District but later joined as Whitman-Hanson Regional School District with the addition of the elementary and middle schools. There are two elementary schools in town; the Park Avenue School serves pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, and the Duval and Conley Schools (in the east and west parts of town, respectively) serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The Whitman Middle School, located south of Route 27 in the western part of town, serves students from sixth to eighth grades. Students from both Whitman and Hanson towns attend Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, along Route 27 on the Hanson side of the road. Students moved into the new, more technologically advanced school building in 2005 from the previous school, which was closer to the road. Whitman-Hanson's teams are known as the Panthers, and their colors are crimson and black. One of their chief rivals is nearby Abington, whom they play in the annual Thanksgiving Day football game. (The former Whitman-Hanson High School is no longer standing. It was torn down after a new high school was built. Its old location is now home to athletic fields.)  In addition to Whitman-Hanson, students may choose to attend South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School in Hanover free of charge. There are no private schools in the town, but both Hanson and Brockton have private schools. The nearest college is Massasoit Community College in neighboring Brockton